Mayor Reed: Braves should keep their name

ATLANTA -- This week, Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, defended his team's name, and insisted he would not change it, despite strong objections from those who feel it's racially insensitive.

Some critics believe the Atlanta Braves may want to consider a name change too.

But don't count Mayor Kasim Reed among them. After all, the "Atlanta Braves" is more than a name. It's also a brand. With a lot of equity.

To that end, Forbes magazine puts the value of the Braves at about a half billion dollars. By comparison the value of the Redskins is one-point five billion dollars.

It is clear these teams have a lot invested, financially and historically. In addition to that, polls have shown there's a lack of public outrage. And that was one of the things the owner of the Redskins mentioned in his letter to fans, where he adamantly refused to change the team's name.

The issue has not exploded here in Atlanta like it has in DC. At least not yet.

But either way, Mayor Reed says he's not in support of a name change for the Braves.

"I do not," said the mayor. "I think that the name the Atlanta Braves is a name that we should keep; and I have a number of friends who are Indians, and they haven't shared any offense with me about it. So I go by my experiences."

It is rare for the mayor to break ranks with the president. But on the issue of using a race of people as a mascot, they do not agree.

The president thinks team owners should indeed consider changing names that are potentially offensive.